University of California’s Lucrative Out-of-State Undergraduates

Winding down the admissions process, the University of California, Berkeley has offered admission to 12,915 applicants, about the same number of students it accepted last year. But 86 percent of last year’s admits were California residents. This year only about 73 of admitted students were Californians. In a surprisingly frank press release, the university explained that:

While there was a decrease this year in California residents offered admission, there was an increase in offers to out-of-state and international students. Insufficient state funding for California student enrollment has forced campus leaders to reduce enrollment offers to state residents.

The campus increased the number of enrollment offers to international students and out-of-state students as part of an effort to generate additional funds during this time of budget deficits. Since they are not California residents, these students must fund the full cost of their non-resident tuition in addition to what California-resident students pay. Nonresident students pay three times as much in tuition and fees as students from California. The additional nonresident funds will help UC Berkeley maintain academic excellence for all students.

Academic excellence, maybe, but the new plan brings Berkeley ever farther away from affordability. Earlier this year, The nonprofit Education Trust attacked state universities for becoming more expensive and less affordable to low-income and first generation students.

The education fee for California residents attending University of California in 2010-11 will be $9,402.00 a year. Tuition for out-of-state students will be $ 22,021.00 annually.

The Berkeley press release indicated that the other schools in the University of California system have similarly increased the amount of out-of-state students admitted.[Image via]